What's Wrong with Catherine?
by Foxy527
Summary: Ever wonder how Steve would react if anything ever happened to Catherine? I have...so since the show's writers aren't giving me a McRoll "fix", I figured I'd write them myself. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Ive often wondered what how Steve would react if something ever happened to Catherine. Something tells me his "calm cool and always in control" facade would fade pretty quickly. This may give us a glimpse into the "what ifs".**

 **As always, please review and let me know what you think.**

 **THANKS for reading! :)**

Grace and Catherine made their way back into Steve's house after a swim to get some snacks and drinks. Grace was spending the day with Catherine after Steve and Danny had been called out on a case. That was fine with her because she loved 'girl time' with Aunt Cath.

They had spent a couple of hours on the beach behind Steve's house and worked up an appetite. It was definitely time for lunch.

"How about a sandwich, Gracie? I think Uncle Steve might have some fruit in here too," Catherine said as she started looking inside the refrigerator and got out a few things to put onto the kitchen island so they could start assembling their sandwiches.

All of a sudden, Catherine let out a pained shriek and doubled over until she was on her knees. Grace was so startled, she dropped the knife she'd been using to spread mustard on their sandwiches and moved quickly to the other side of the counter to peer down at Catherine who was now holding her side in pain.

"Aunt Cath! What's wrong?!"

"I'm okay, Grace. Just give me a sec." Catherine answered even though she was panting and in obvious pain. It took her a few minutes to get the pain under control as she took deep breaths and tried to calm down. Seeing how Catherine was struggling, Grace wasn't at all convinced she was really okay.

"Aunt Cath? Oh my God….I'm calling Uncle Steve." Grace moved to get her phone, but Catherine stopped her.

"No, Grace. I'm okay."

"But you're in _pain_!" Concern was etched all over her young face.

"Sweetie, I promise I'm okay. Five-0 is on a case right now, so there is no need to bother them with something little like this." When Grace didn't look convinced, she continued, "Sometimes I have problems like this but it _always_ goes away. I'll be fine. I just need to catch my breath. AND, if it _doesn't_ go away, I'll have Uncle Steve take me to the doctor later. Okay? " Catherine offered what she hoped was an encouraging smile and saw Grace calm down as well.

Although Catherine had _**no**_ intention of letting Steve know about this because he would have a friggin' cow…..but right now, her priority was making Gracie feel better.

She would be okay. She willed it in her mind…..and knew it would happen that way.

She _hoped._

After a few minutes, it seemed as if Catherine had recovered, so she picked herself up off the floor and tried to distract Grace by getting back to the task of making their lunch. They made their way back outside to eat on the lanai, and even though Grace occasionally cast a worried glance in Catherine's direction, it did appear as if she might be okay.

They spent a little more time in the water before getting dry clothes on and driving to HQ. The Team was back, so Steve had called Cath to bring Gracie in so they could all go to dinner together.

Catherine and Grace were walking into HQ when it happened again. Catherine could have cursed her body's timing.

 _If this was going to happen again, why the_ _ **hell**_ _couldn't it happen when I was by myself?_ she fumed.

She knew instinctively Steve was going to have a fit as she felt her body give in to the pain and started falling again. The pain was so sharp and sudden that she didn't have time to brace herself before she was doubled over on the floor again. Alarm filled Steve's face as he sprinted towards her and lowered himself down beside her.

"Catherine!"

He started looking her over frantically trying to see what was wrong, "Catherine?" his voice choked out again.

Catherine wasn't at a point where she could answer him yet because the pain was too intense. She continued to take deep breaths in and out and willed the pain to ease up.

Grace stood helplessly beside her as she looked from Steve to Danny, "This is what happened earlier. I _knew_ I should have called you!"

Danny looked at her, "This happened once already today?"

Grace looked at him and shook her head.

"Well, why _didn't_ you call?" Danny asked her.

"Aunt Cath asked me **not** to. She said she was okay…but I knew something was wrong!" Grace cried. Danny pulled his daughter into his arms and held her while Steve tried to tend to Catherine.

"Cath….talk to me, babe. What's wrong?"

Catherine's breathing was finally slowing down, "Gimme a minute." She pleaded on a whisper.

Steve looked towards Grover who was now at their side, "Call an ambulance."

His reaction was exactly what she'd been afraid would happen. She reached her free hand up to grab his arm. "No, Steve. Please. I don't need an ambulance. I'm fine now."

Steve was not in the mood to argue. He picked her up gingerly and began carrying her into his office so he could lay her on the couch. "The _**hell**_ you are, Cath. You are obviously _not_ okay, so we're calling paramedics. Don't even **think** about fighting me on this."

When Catherine didn't argue with him anymore as he'd expected, he looked down at her in his arms and was worried to see that her eyes were still closed in pain. She was also burning up and obviously had a fever. Something was definitely wrong. He entered his office and gently placed her on the couch before asking Danny to grab a blanket for her. Then he got down on his knees beside her.

"Talk to me, babe. Where does it hurt?"

Catherine swallowed and opened her eyes to look at him. "Steve, I promise it's nothing. I think it's probably just a cyst. If you'd just let me up for a second, I can walk it off."

She tried to shift on the couch to sit up but the pain in her side wouldn't allow it. Steve pushed her back down, "Stay down," He demanded softly. "You're not going _anywhere_. Now…..tell me what's going on. What kind of cyst?"

Catherine let out a frustrated sigh, "A couple of times in the past, I've had a cyst…..On my ovaries. Both times I went to the doctor and was told there was nothing to worry about and they would eventually go away…..and they _**did**_. I must have another one. Soooooo, it will go away too. It's no big deal…..really."

Steve knew she wasn't telling him the truth. Catherine didn't like to be stuck in bed any more than he did. Well, unless they were doing something enjoyable….Then they both _**loved**_ being in bed together. But that was beside the point. Steve shook his head and turned his attention back to her.

It was typical of Catherine to pretend everything was okay even if it wasn't.

"Has the pain been this bad in the past?" he asked.

Grace walked in with a blanket and handed it to Steve. He gave her a grateful smile, "Thanks, sweetie."

"I'm sorry Uncle Steve. I should have called you." Gracie looked so guilty that Catherine suddenly felt shame for putting her in this position. It hadn't been her intention to worry Grace…..and she honestly hadn't expected it to happen twice in one day.

"Gracie, it's okay." Steve tried to comfort her. "Cath will be fine."

"That's right, honey. I'm going to be fine." Catherine assured her as Steve put the blanket around Cath. He noticed that she had started to chill and also picked up on the fact that she continued to avoid his gaze and evade his question. Obviously because she knew she couldn't lie to him.

He looked back to little girl, "Can you give us a second, Gracie?"

She complied and walked back out to join Danny and Grover who were both hovering outside and waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Chin and Kono had also returned from a visit to Max, so they were being told what was going on…..or what little they knew at this point.

"Look at me, Cath. Was the pain _this bad_ the other two times?"

She shook her head and sighed again, "No. It wasn't this bad before. But Steve, I think I'll be okay. I don't want you to call the…."

"Stop." He interrupted her. His voice was low and firm, "Lou's already called the paramedics and we're getting you to the hospital. End of discussion. Do you understand me?"

She knew she wasn't going to win. And honestly, she was a little nervous herself this time. The pain was unlike anything she'd felt before. Steve leaned down to kiss her forehead before glancing up to see the paramedics entering. Danny led them to Steve's office.

"Commander McGarrett," one of them said in greeting, "What's going on?"

Steve pointed towards Catherine, "This is Catherine Rollins. She has doubled over in pain a couple of times today. So much so that it took her breath and she couldn't stand up. It feels like she might also have a fever."

As if on cue, Catherine grabbed her side again. She was obviously trying to downplay the pain but they could see the truth written on her face. Both men made their way to her side. When she could speak again, she told them about her previous problems. A quick check of her temperature showed that she had did indeed have a high fever and her blood pressure had also spiked due to the pain.

"We need to transport you, ma'am. Occasionally, cysts can be large enough that they don't go away on their own. It could also be your appendix. If either of those is the case, you'll need surgery. If it is a cyst or your appendix and they burst, you're going to be in critical condition very quickly. We need to get you checked out."

Catherine suddenly looked exhausted and didn't argue with them on that point which caused Steve's worry to spike even more. If she wasn't fighting tooth and nail about going to the hospital, she must really feel bad.

"We're going to go down for the gurney and will be right back up to transport you downstairs." One of the men said.

Catherine tried to get up, "I don't need that. I can walk."

Steve glared at her and his gaze was intense enough that she didn't move anymore, "…or maybe not." She said weakly.

The paramedics chuckled softly, "Okay, stay put and we'll be right back."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all of your "likes" and reviews. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Please let me know what you think! I'm trying to decide whether to let this rest now...or continue on until we can see Catherine go back home. It might be fun to see Steve taking care of her, but we'll see. Let me know you're thoughts. :)**

 **ENJOY!**

As the paramedics left to go back down for the gurney, Steve was leaning down by Catherine's side once again.

"Why didn't you call me earlier? Or at least let Gracie call?" Steve asked her.

"I didn't want to worry you." Catherine answered softly. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to finally be resting.

"Cath….."

Catherine's eyes fluttered open to meet his and she felt her heart clench at the love she saw there.

"I'm always here if you need me…..No matter _what_ is going on. You know that, right?"

She gave him a soft smile and nodded, "I know."

Then, he let out a frustrated sigh before taking her face into his hands and leaning down to kiss her, "Don't ever do this again. Don't think twice about calling me when you need me. You scared the hell out of me."

Within minutes, the paramedics returned to load Catherine onto the gurney and make their way downstairs with her. Once she was in the ambulance they started an IV with pain medications to make the trip a little easier for her. Steve insisted on riding along with her, so the rest of the team followed behind. Catherine tried to talk them all into going to dinner without her, but none of them would even entertain the thought. She was part of the family so they were going to be there by her side…..Or at least by Steve's side if she did end up needing surgery that night.

***************h50********************h50*****************

 _At the hospital…_

Steve went with Catherine as they wheeled her into an Emergency Room and the rest of the team settled in the Waiting Area. An ultrasound revealed that Catherine did indeed have a large cyst on one of her ovaries. Once her OB/GYN arrived and looked over the results, he met her in the ER room where Steve was by her side. Catherine made introductions as Dr. Melrose and Steve exchanged handshakes. Catherine realized how worried Steve looked and the concern she saw on his face made her heart ache. She watched the uncertain smile he gave Dr. Melrose as if he knew they weren't going to get good news.

Turning back towards her doctor, she couldn't escape the grim look on his face. "So I hear you gave everyone a scare today," he started.

Catherine smiled at him weakly, "Yeah. I didn't think it was a big deal because I've had them before and they always went away. I was kinda hoping this one would too…..but something tells me that's not going to happen. Am I right? "

"No. Unfortunately, this one isn't going away on its own. I need to take you into surgery to remove it."

Surgery. That was the last thing Catherine wanted, but she had a feeling she didn't have a choice. "Okay, so when do we need to schedule it?"

"It's already scheduled. We're taking care of it tonight."

Catherine sat up straighter and looked at Steve uncertainly before turning back to her doctor. "Are you serious?"

"Catherine, the size of this cyst and its location concern me. If it were to burst, we would have a much bigger problem on our hands. I don't think we can wait, so I want to get it out as soon as possible."

He paused for a second and took a deep breath before continuing, "I also need to let you know that there is a chance I may have to remove the entire ovary. I'm hoping that won't be the case, but there is always the risk."

Catherine swallowed and tried to fight against the tears that were threatening to fill her eyes. Steve stepped over and took her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze.

"Do what you need to do, doc." Steve said.

Dr. Melrose gave a quick nod. "They'll be coming to prep you for surgery soon. I'll come in once more before we take you in. Okay?"

Catherine still couldn't speak, so she just nodded her head in agreement.

As soon as he walked out of the room, Steve could see that she was struggling to keep her tears at bay. He got up on the bed beside her and pulled her to him. His strong, brave Catherine. He knew she was trying not to cry, but also knew she needed to get it out. Her body was tense as she fought to control the emotions under the surface.

He kissed the top of her head as it rested against his shoulder, "You don't have to be strong for me, babe."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, she let go and the tears began to fall. He rubbed her back and gave her all the support he could by holding her close. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine." He whispered.

"But what if the 'worst case scenario' happens?"

"What do you mean?" Steve asked her.

Catherine sniffed, "What if he has to remove my ovary? I mean, I know this timing sucks but….."

He felt her body shaking silently with tears and hugged her a little tighter, "But what?"

Catherine took a deep breath, "Well, we don't ever talk much about the future, but I always thought I'd be having _your_ _ **babies**_."

Steve smiled in spite of himself as he continued to stroke his hand up and down her back, "You can still have my babies. _**Our**_ babies. Even if he does have to take one ovary, you'll still have another, right?"

"But it will make it harder for me to get pregnant! I just wasn't expecting this." She hated that she sounded so desperate, but at the moment, she was scared to death and didn't care.

She felt Steve's soft chuckle vibrate against her cheek as it rested on his chest, "Okay, so we get to practice more until it happens. What's so bad about that?"

Catherine couldn't help it. She actually giggled. As she did, she felt some of the fear leaving her and began to relax in Steve's arms.

He put a hand on her cheek, "Hey….."

She raised her head to look at him.

"I love you," he finished. His voice was low, full of emotion, and sexy as hell giving her goosebumps all over despite the fact they were laying in a hospital bed together.

"I love you too." She scooted up so she could kiss him.

He reluctantly broke away, "Lemme go out and let everyone know what's going on and I'll be back. Okay?"

As Steve started to walk out into the ER waiting room, one of the nurses stopped him. "I know you have friends out there, Commander. It'll probably be 30 minutes or so before we start getting Miss Rollins ready for surgery. You can bring them back to see her, if you like."

Steve gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Danny, Grace, Grover, Chin, and Kono all soon gathered in Catherine's small room with Steve waiting on the doctor to return. Grace was the first to approach her.

"I hope you're going to be okay, Aunt Cath." Her voice choked.

Catherine hugged her back, "I'm going to be fine, Gracie. They're going to take good care of me."

Danny took a step forward, "Okay, so I'm sure Steve has told you this already…..but don't ever scare us like this again. Do you understand? If you need us, you call us. I don't care if it's for a toothache."

Catherine offered him a wry smile, "Yes, Danny. Steve has told me this ad nauseum. I promise it won't happen again."

After everyone had given her their best wishes and told her they would be staying until they knew she was out of surgery. A nurse walked into the ER exam room to inform everyone that they needed to get Catherine ready for surgery. Hugs were passed all around as everyone exited, except for Steve. He was there for the duration and wasn't about to leave until they wheeled her back for surgery.

Once she was prepped for surgery, Dr. Melrose came in. He smiled down at Catherine as he took her hand. "Ready to do this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess." She answered nervously.

He patted her arm and gave her an encouraging smile, "Everything's going to be fine."

Then he looked at Steve. "I'll take care of her, Commander. If you want to wait with your friends, I'll come find you as soon as we're finished. Surgery should take a couple of hours at most."

Not caring that the doctor was watching their every move, Steve leaned down to kiss her again. "I'll be waiting for you, Lieutenant."

"I'll count on it, Commander."

They came in to wheel her out and Steve leaned down to whisper, "I love you."

She smiled up at him groggily as the sedatives they'd given her started to take effect, "I love you too."

******************h50******************h50******************

Steve was practically wearing a hole in the floor with his pacing. It had been almost two hours and he was starting to get anxious for word on Catherine. Oh who was he kidding? He'd been anxious since they wheeled her to the operating room. The team had all tried to keep him in their conversations, but he kept zoning out and glancing towards the door as if he could will it to open. Danny eventually offered to go with him to get coffee but he'd refused that as well. He didn't want to be away when the doctor finally came back.

Steve felt arms going around him and looked down to see Grace giving him a hug. "What's that for?" he grinned at her.

She looked up at him and smiled, "You just looked like you could use a hug, Uncle Steve."

Steve hugged her back, "Thanks, kiddo. Your hugs always make me feel better."

Just then the doors opened and Dr. Melrose came walking into the waiting area. Since the Five-0 team were the only ones in the room at the time, he decided to brief them there.

"Everything went great'" he began and smiled warmly at them. "I was able to remove the cyst without harming the ovary. She's going to be fine."

Steve let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as relief rolled over him. "When can I see her?"

"She is in Recovery now. As soon as she wakes, we'll get her into a room and you all can see her. She's going to be pretty groggy, but you can at least go in to say 'hi'. She's probably going to sleep for the rest of the night."

Steve reached out to shake his hand, "Thanks, Doc. I really appreciate what you did."

"No problem. I'm assuming you'll be staying her with her tonight, Commander?" he asked.

Steve shook his head in acknowledgment.

"Okay, well, I'll be in to check on her tomorrow morning so I'll see you then. I'm going to go ahead and tell you what I'll be telling her tomorrow, though. She's going to need to rest for the next two weeks. I'll give her some pain medicine to get her through the next several days, but I don't want her up walking much or driving or anything like that. After that, she'll still need to take it easy for several more weeks. Nothing too strenuous."

"I'll make sure of it." Steve answered. By the look in his eyes, the doctor had no doubt he meant what he said. If Catherine tried to push herself too hard, Steve would stop it. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome." Dr. Melrose said and then walked out of the room.

Now that he knew she was okay, Steve was finally able to sit down and rest. He was looking forward to seeing her, but felt much better now that he knew she was out of surgery and everything was fine.


End file.
